< Hosea 2 >

1 Say vnto your brethren, Ammi, and to your sisters, Ruhamah,
Say ye unto your brethren: 'Ammi'; and to your sisters, 'Ruhamah.'
2 Plead with your mother: plead with her: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: but let her take away her fornications out of her sight, and her adulteries from betweene her breasts.
Plead with your mother, plead; for she is not My wife, neither am I her husband; and let her put away her harlotries from her face, and her adulteries from between her breasts;
3 Lest I strippe her naked, and set her as in the day that shee was borne, and make her as a wildernes, and leaue her like a drie land, and slaie her for thirst.
Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.
4 And I wil haue no pitie vpon her children: for they be the children of fornications.
And I will not have compassion upon her children; for they are children of harlotry.
5 For their mother hath plaied the harlot: she that conceiued them, hath done shamefully: for shee said, I will goe after my louers that giue me my bread and my water, my wooll and my flaxe, mine oyle and my drinke.
For their mother hath played the harlot, she that conceived them hath done shamefully; for she said: 'I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.'
6 Therefore beholde, I will stoope thy way with thornes, and make an hedge, that shee shall not finde her pathes.
Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and I will make a wall against her, that she shall not find her paths.
7 Though shee follow after her louers, yet shall shee not come at them: though shee seeke them, yet shall shee not finde them: then shall she say, I will goe and returne to my first husband: for at that time was I better then nowe.
And she shall run after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them, and she shall seek them, but shall not find them; then shall she say: 'I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.'
8 Nowe she did not knowe that I gaue her corne, and wine, and oyle, and multiplied her siluer and golde, which they bestowed vpon Baal.
For she did not know that it was I that gave her the corn, and the wine, and the oil, and multiplied unto her silver and gold, which they used for Baal.
9 Therefore wil I returne, and take away my corne in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recouer my wool and my flaxe lent, to couer her shame.
Therefore will I take back My corn in the time thereof, and My wine in the season thereof, and will snatch away My wool and My flax given to cover her nakedness.
10 And now will I discouer her lewdnes in the sight of her louers, and no man shall deliuer her out of mine hand.
And now will I uncover her shame in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of My hand.
11 I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast daies, her newe moones, and her Sabbathes, and all her solemne feasts.
I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feasts, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her appointed seasons.
12 And I wil destroy her vines and her figtrees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my louers haue giuen mee: and I will make them as a forest, and the wilde beasts shall eate them.
And I will lay waste her vines and her fig-trees, whereof she hath said: 'These are my hire that my lovers have given me'; and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.
13 And I wil visit vpon her the daies of Baalim, wherein shee burnt incense to them: and shee decked her selfe with her earings and her iewels, and shee folowed her louers, and forgate me, saith the Lord.
And I will visit upon her the days of the Baalim, wherein she offered unto them, and decked herself with her ear-rings and her jewels, and went after her lovers, and forgot Me, saith the LORD.
14 Therefore beholde, I will allure her, and bring her into the wildernesse, and speake friendly vnto her.
Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly unto her.
15 And I will giue her her vineyardes from thence, and the valley of Achor for the doore of hope, and shee shall sing there as in the daies of her youth, and as in the daies when shee came vp out of the land of Egypt.
And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she shall respond there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
16 And at that day, sayeth the Lord, thou shalt call me Ishi, and shalt call me no more Baali.
And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call Me Ishi, and shalt call Me no more Baali.
17 For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall be no more remembred by their names.
For I will take away the names of the Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be mentioned by their name.
18 And in that day wil I make a couenant for them, with the wilde beasts, and with the foules of the heauen, and with that that creepeth vpon the earth: and I will breake the bowe, and the sworde and the battell out of the earth, and will make them to sleepe safely.
And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground; and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the land, and will make them to lie down safely.
19 And I wil marry thee vnto me for euer: yea, I will marry thee vnto me in righteousnes, and in iudgement, and in mercy and in compassion.
And I will betroth thee unto Me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in justice, and in lovingkindness, and in compassion.
20 I will euen marry thee vnto me in faithfulnes, and thou shalt knowe the Lord.
And I will betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness; and thou shalt know the LORD.
21 And in that day I wil heare, saith the Lord, I will euen heare the heauens, and they shall heare the earth,
And it shall come to pass in that day, I will respond, saith the LORD, I will respond to the heavens, and they shall respond to the earth;
22 And the earth shall heare the corne, and the wine, and the oyle, and they shall heare Izreel.
And the earth shall respond to the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall respond to Jezreel.
23 And I will sowe her vnto me in the earth, and I will haue mercie vpon her, that was not pitied, and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people. And they shall say, Thou art my God.
And I will sow her unto Me in the land; and I will have compassion upon her that had not obtained compassion; and I will say to them that were not My people: 'Thou art My people'; and they shall say: 'Thou art my God.'

< Hosea 2 >